SHADOW Base
SHADOW Base was an ONI base located on the UNSC Colony of Reach, several kilometers east of the Babd Catha Ice Shelf and directly north of the Viery Territory. SHADOW Base is a sub-division of ONI Section III and was the head of its Weapons and Technology // Research and Development projects. It's most notable projects and work include the design of the devastating NOVA Bomb, the design of the HAVOK Tactical Nuke, the manufacture of prototype Linear Accelerator's for ONI CASTLE Base, the development and manufacture of prototype SPARTAN Assault Platforms and reverse engineering efforts carried out on Pandora's Box, a retrieved Forerunner artifact that was later both the target for Operation: ARK ANGEL and the eventual technological breakthrough's and advancements responsible for powering the massive UNSC Infinity. Weapons & Technology // Research & Development SHADOW Base carried out extensive efforts in ONI Section III's efforts to produce, improve and research upon a large variety of pre-existing and new technologies including but not limited to weaponry, equipment and prototype military hardware. Their most successful work consisted of the NOVA Bomb, the S.A.P Program and the data and tech acquired through vast reverse engineering operations performed on Pandora's Box which was responsible for powering the UNSC Infinity-Class warship's experimental XR2 Borlin Fields: S81/X-DFR engines. Personnel and Vehicles SHADOW Base, being at the forefront of Section III's Weapons and Technology // Research and Development projects, has a constant compliment of 4 veteran UNSC Army Ranger Trooper Squads, under the command of Captain Hammond, at any given time. Along with stationed UNSCDF forces, SHADOW Base is also the base of operations for ONI Recon Team 5, codename LOKI, an ONI Section I military unit under the command of SSgt. Jacobs, who carry out retrieval missions and localised field testing for SHADOW Base. Being a research and development base, the majority of its personnel are technicians, engineers and scientists. Commander Pickett oversees all projects and production processes and liases with UNSCDF Captain Hammond to best utilise the base's strong, albeit limited military and security strength. Pickett does not have explicit command over Captain Hammond or the Army Troopers stationed there, but he can take over operational tactical command due to his rank or if the situational parameters dictate. SSgt. Jacobs and the rest of LOKI report directly to him. Pickett is most commonly heard speaking over the base tannoy systems and over radio broadcasts as Baseplate or Control. SHADOW Base is home to several Falcons and Pelican gunships, along with 4 M12 Warthog's mounted with M41 LAAG's and 2 M12G1 Warthog's mounted with M68 ALIM Gauss Cannon's supplementing both LOKI and Captain Hammond's military forces. The majority of SHADOW's vehicular strength is kept in concealed hangars and vehicle bays inside the mountain parallel to SHADOW Base. Similarly, the vast majority of SHADOW Base is concealed underground, with a small out house on the surface that serves as the entrance, reception, main elevator and main showcase and briefing rooms. The Battle of SHADOW Base During the Fall of Reach on August 12th 2552, SHADOW Base and the outlying forests around the base was the site of the Battle of SHADOW Base. The battle centered initially around SHADOW Base's primary Broadcast Compound, SHADOW's main entrance and the Engineering Department. The true target of the attack was the Forerunner artifact, Pandora's Box. At 00:27 hours SHADOW Base's CCTV systems inside their automated Broadcast Compound went offline. Several minutes later, SHADOW Base's communications array was disrupted by a Covenant Comms Jammer deployed inside the facility's automated Broadcast Compound by a group of 3 Spec Ops Elites. SHADOW Base rebooted all of their communication systems and ran through several system diagnostic procedures while Commander Pickett tasked ONI Recon Team 5 "LOKI" to investigate the Broadcast Compound, which was located on a cliff above the main base. LOKI splits up into two teams; LOKI 2 and 4 enter the compound through the North Gate while SSgt. Jacobs, LOKI 3 and 5 enter through the Main Gate as LOKI 6 provides sniper cover. Once inside, LOKI 2 and 4 discover the Jammer and are engaged by the 3 Spec Ops Elites. The rest of LOKI, hearing gunfire, rush inside and join the fray while Pelican Delta supports from above. With their radios being jammed, LOKI are unable to contact SHADOW Base and inform them of the Covenants presence and impending attack. Surprise Banshee fire disables Pelican Delta, who crashes and slides down the cliff face into the ocean. LOKI 6, observing the battle attempts to contact SHADOW Control with no success, shoots and kills one of the Elites. LOKI 6 disengages from the battle to get to an intercom station near a storage outpost, where he informs SHADOW Control of the Covenant's presence and the source of the comms blackout. The Banshee, who zeroes in on his position as he shot the Elite, kills LOKI 6 with a fuel rod shot, detonating several gas canisters and fuel doilies, incinerating them both. SHADOW Base begins mobilising its military forces. Captain Hammond organises his troops throughout the base, locking down bulkheads and securing base checkpoints inside. Through overloading their radio transmitters within the Broadcast Compound, Commander Pickett establishes momentary contact with the closest UNSC forces; ODST Team Foxtrot who are in transit near the Babd Catha Ice Shelf. Before losing contact, Pickett gives Foxtrot's commander GSgt. Briggs a message to relay to ONI HQ: The Covenant are here. Unknown numbers. Send reinforcements. Team Foxtrot relay this message and travel to SHADOW Base, where they along with a squad of Army Rangers, defend SHADOW Base's main entrance from an onslaught of 3 Zealots, 5 Spec Ops Elites and the Field Marshal. SHADOW Base observes the arrival of the Field Marshal's attacking forces via CCTV. With all communications still disabled and their transmitters badly damaged, they have no way of informing ONI HQ of the gravity of the situation. The Ranger-ODST force fought hard, managing to kill all 5 Spec Ops Elites before the Field Marshal's superior forces destroy them. LOKI, now free of the Banshee's suppressive fire, move in against the two remaining Spec Ops Elites. Using a combination of fire-and-manoeuvre tactics, specialised E.M.P grenades and overwhelming firepower, they took down both remaining Spec Ops Elites and destroyed the Jammer.